spiders.fyiFOR YOUR INFORMATION
Artistic illustration: Dew-covered orb web before a misty tropical forest at dawn.

Your route through the museum

South America: four ways of life

Canopies, spiny outlines and shared webs: four species reveal a small slice of a diverse continent.

Begin the tour ↓
Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.
  1. Artistic illustration: Dark hairy tarantula with pink toe tips on tree bark.

    Diversity & species portraits

    A tarantula among the branches

    Avicularia avicularia introduces the arboreal tarantulas of South America.

    Explore the article ↗

    Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

  2. Artistic illustration: Orb-weaving spider with a broad pale abdomen, black spots and red marginal spines.

    Diversity & species portraits

    Spines in an orb web

    Gasteracantha cancriformis shows how varied an orb weaver’s silhouette can be.

    Explore the article ↗

    Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

  3. Artistic illustration: Several small brown spiders in a shared three-dimensional web among tropical plants.

    Diversity & species portraits

    A web for a community

    Anelosimus eximius forms lasting social colonies, including in South American lowland rainforests.

    Explore the article ↗

    Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

  4. Artistic illustration: Brown long-legged spider on damp leaf litter on a tropical forest floor.

    Diversity & species portraits

    A wandering spider beyond the headlines

    Phoneutria nigriventer deserves a factual account of its life, defence and venom.

    Explore the article ↗

    Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Guided tours ↗

Search the museum